IT'S AN EXTROVERT’S World!

With my Passing Out Parade (POP) from national youth service barely two weeks away, I find myself in a period of uncertainty and soul-searching. Amidst the need for utilising connections to secure a position for myself, it is increasingly obvious that my introversion is making me less effective at utilising connections for my personal benefit.

Every day I go to work, perform my duties as best as I can and go back home. I don’t have much of a social life. My life is basically work and studies. I also do a part-time job to supplement my NYSC allowance. In the end, all my time is dedicated to either earning a living or personal development. In spite of this, I still have the opportunity to meet people and make connections in my places of work. I have met a number of notable personalities and when I look at my life prior to youth service, I thank Allah for how far I’ve come.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I hate meeting people, to the contrary, I like meeting new people and hanging out with my few friends. I just prefer it for short moments and with intervals. This is because after meeting people, I would need time to recharge my energy in private.

I try to gauge how my behaviour affects my close friends and family and to the best of my knowledge they understand me and give me the space I need without judging me and I’m grateful for that.

This brings me to my feelings towards using my acquaintances to get things for myself. As much as possible, I dislike asking for help or favours. In fact, this is part of my prayer points every day (to be independent and not ask others for help. I know it’s a long shot)! I’m not sure it’s due to just my introversion. I just prefer to be self-sufficient. But the longer I live, the more I discover that it is impossible to live without the help of others. And with that understanding, I try to ask for the minimum and try not to burden people with my needs. I am trying to adapt to the reality of living in this country and it requires connections either in the form of referrals, endorsements or the likes. It’s not just the country; the whole world requires connections in one way or the other.

As I try to navigate living in a world meant for extroverts as a minority, adaptation is key. I’ve learnt to how to approach important people and keep their acquaintance, I’ve also learnt how to make people understand that I am a little different. This is important because I live in a society where a person is judged based on how he interacts with people and there are expected social interaction etiquettes. When I make acquaintances, I try to make them understand how my disposition is a little different from the usual and ask for some consideration. Most of the times, they acquiesce.

The last few months have been revolutionary. The service year has aided me in my understanding of how the country and the world works and how I fit in. I am trying to see how I contribute my quota to the development of this country and how my existence will help change the world for the better. Such change will need to start from somewhere. I am willing to make the necessary sacrifices to make it happen. In the end, we only succeed in life when we touch the lives of others. May we be the light that sparks positive change in the world.